Tasting Report: Pol Roger Champagne Lineup, 2009 Releases
Had the chance to taste all seven current varieties of Pol Roger Champagne, a brand which dates back to 1849. Old Pol should need no further introduction, of course… here are some thoughts on the house’s current lineup. 2000 Pol Roger Brut Rose Champagne / $115 / A- / yeasty but otherwise quite pleasant 1999…
Review: The Kraken Black Spiced Rum
This is not Captain Morgan, folks. The Kraken, with its sea creature label and black-as-coffee liquid within, makes a striking impression on the bar and in the glass. The idea is kitschy: A drink as strong and dark as kraken (giant squid) ink, powerful enough to take him down. And, yeah, at 94 proof and…
Review: Wine Swirl Wine Aeration System
Are your arms wildly misshapen or underpowered for your size, like a T. Rex? If so, you might need Wine Swirl, an automated “wine aerator” that will swirl the living hell out of your fermented grape juice with little more than a flick of the wrist. Wine Swirl may look a bit scientific because, frankly,…
Review: 2007 Quivira Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Wine Creek Ranch
I was ready to tear into Quivira for putting out a wine at 15.1 percent alcohol… but then I checked out the company’s 2006 version of the same wine: 15.5 percent. I didn’t even think that was chemically/oenologically possible. This single vineyard zin comes from Quivira’s Wine Creek Ranch vineyard, a hilly area in Sonoma’s…
Review: The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Irish Whiskeys
The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes — in a million years I wouldn’t have come up with a name for a line of whiskey like this one. This collection of four new Irish whiskeys (named after soldiers forced out of Ireland during hard times) all share a common DNA, but offer some subtle differences…
Review: Go Time Hangover Relief
Go Time is a rarity in hangover relief products: You take it the morning after, rather than while you’re drinking or before you go to bed — when no one ever remembers to take these things. No, Go Time is intended for use when you’re suffering at rock bottom. It also benefits from being not…
Review: Gordon & MacPhail MacPhail’s Collection 8 Years Old – Glenrothes, Highland Park, and Tamdhu
Gordon & MacPhail is one of the most — if not the most — well-respected independent bottlers of Scotch whiskys in the world. Recently the company put out three young and inexpensive renditions of whiskys drawn from the casks of some major-name distilleries. Here’s how they stack up. All are 86 proof and, oddly, eight…
Recipe: Scotch Mist
I’ve had this recipe, ripped from Imbibe Magazine, on my fridge for the better part of the year. Finally whipped a few up in recent days — and they’re quite tasty. The original recipe is noted here, but I recommend easing up on the St. Germain, maraschino, and honey syrup by at least 25 percent…
